Collapsible display stand



Jan. 15, 1952 R E|DE 2,582,243

COLLAPSIBLE DISPLAY STAND Filed April 1, 1949 j 5 INVENTOR. F Gay/T. z'de Patented Jan. 15, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COLLAPSIBLE DISPLAY STAND Guy R. Eide, Detroit, Mich.

Application April 1, 1949, Serial No. 85,010

This invention relates to improvements in collapsible display stands. It is an object of the invention to provide a collapsible display stand, for such purposes as supporting an upper and a lower row of flowerpots upon a window sill, which may be packed fiat to form a compact parcel, and which may be quickly and easily put together without the use of fastening means such as nails, screws or the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide a collapsible display stand including two shelves spaced one above the other and supports extending'between the shelves so that one extremity of each support engages a slot in the lower shelf and the other extremity engages a slot in the upper shelf, and wherein the slots are relatively so positioned that each support, which is to some extent resilient, when in engagement with both shelves is sufficiently sprung to be retained in binding engagement with them, so that there is no fear of accidental displacement of one of the parts relative to the other parts when a substantial load is placed on either shelf, or when a flowerpot or other article is shifted along either of the said shelves.

A further object of the invention is to provide a collapsible display stand which is cheap and simpie to manufacture.

Having thus briefly and broadly stated some of the objects and advantages of the invention I will now describe it in detail with the aid of the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing one form of the invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevation showing a slightly modified form, and Figure 3 is an end view of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a detail showing the means employed for retaining the ends of the supports in binding engagement with the shelves.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the parst disassembled ready for packing for shipment.

Referring to the drawing, I designates a lower shelf having a slot 2 formed transversely therein adjacent each extremity. These slots are usually inclined, generally downwardly and inwardly, and preferably extend only partway through the shelf from its upper face so that under no circumstances can they project beneath the said lower shelf. The ends of the slots 2 may either terminate a short distance from the lateral margins of the shelf I as shown in Figure 1, or they may extend completely across the shelf as shown in Figures 2 and 3. 3 denotes an upper shelf hav- 8 Claims. (Cl. 211-148) ing transverse slots 4 formed therein which are usually slightly inclined, generally downwardly and inwardly but at a somewhat different inclination to the slots 2 in the shelf I. The slots 4 may either project completely through the upper shelf as shown in Figure l, in which case they only extend partway across it, or they may project only partway through the shelf 3 from its underside, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, in which event they may extend the full width of the said shelf.

5 denotes supports which are to some extent resilient. One extremity of each support extends into one slot 4 and its opposite extremity engages one of the slots 2. That the entire display stand is held rigid is due to the fact that the slots 2 are at a somewhat different inclination tothe slots 4 and consequently the supports 5 are sprung into frictional engagement with the sides of the slots. After the upper and lower extremities of one support 5 have been inserted in one slot 4 and one slot 2 respectively, the other support 5, after having its upper extremity brought into engagement with the other upper slot 4 will lie substantially in the position shown at 5a in Figure 2. The lower extremity of this other support 5 is then forced inwardly and brought into position to engage its slot 2 as the end of the lower shelf I in which that slot 2 is formed is raised from the position 1a indicated in Figure 2. Then the two supports 5 are sufficiently sprung to retain the entire stand rigid so that considerable weight may be placed upon the upper shelf 3 and flowerpots or other articles shifted therealong, or along the lower shelf I without fear of displacement of either support or shelf relative to the remainder of the structure. I prefer that the slots 2 in the bottom shelf I be formed at a somewhat greater inclination to the vertical than the slots 4 in the upper shelf 3, and that both supports 5 be upwardly and outwardly inclined from the bottom shelf I.

While it is of course simpler to form the slots 2 and 4 completely across their respective shelves I and 2, I find that it is sometimes advantageous for the upper extremities of the supports 5 to extend completely through and somewhat above the upper shelf 4 because they then are useful as stops to limit outward movement of articles placed upon the said shelf 4.

While in the foregoing the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described and shown, it is understood that alterations and modifications may be made thereto provided they fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A collapsible display stand including an upper and a lower shelf, said shelves having slots formed inQtheir opposed sides, each slot in the upper shelf being slightly out of alignment with one slot in the lower shelf, somewhat flexible supports extending between the shelves, the upper extremity of each support engaging one slot in the upper shelf and its lower extremity engaging the slot in the lower shelf which is slightly out of alignment with the slot engaged by its upper extremity, and said supports being sprung in opposite directions by the misalignments of the two pairs of slots into binding engagement with the sides of the latter.

2. A collapsible display stand including an upper and a lower shelf, each shelf having slots inclined in opposite directions formed in its side adjacent the other shelf, the slots in one shelf being almost in alignment with but at a greater inclination to the vertical than the slots in the other shelf, and somewhat flexible supports each having its upper extremity mounted in oneslot in the upper shelf and its lower extremity mounted in the slot in the lower shelf which is slightly out of alignment with the slot engaged by its upper extremity, whereby said supports are sprung in opposite directions into binding engagement with the sides of the slots.

3. A collapsible display stand including an upper and a lower shelf, said shelves having upwardly and outwardly inclined slots formed crosswise of their opposed sides, each slot in the lower shelf being inclined almost in alignment with but at a greater angle to the vertical than one slot in the upper shelf, somewhat flexible supports each mounted at its lower extremity in one slot in the lower shelf and its upper extremity in the slot in the upper shelf substantially in alignment with the slot engaged by its lower extremity, whereby said supports are sprung in opposite directions into binding engagement with the sides of the slots to retain the entire stand rigid.

4. The combination in claim 1, wherein the slots in the lower shelf extend only partway therethrough from its upper side.

5. The combination in claim 1, wherein the slots in both shelves extend completely across the latter.

6. The combination in claim 1, wherein the slots in the upper shelf extend completely through the latter.

7. A collapsible display stand including an upper and a lower shelf, said shelves being spaced one above the other and each having a transverse slot formed in its inner face adjacent each ex tremity, the opposed slots in the upper and lower shelves toward each extremity being somewhat misaligned relative to one another, and supports the opposite extremities of each of which engage one of the misaligned pair of slots, the misalignment of the two pairs of slots being such that compression is exerted by and between the supports on one shelf and a tensile strain is exerted by and between said supports upon the other shelf.

8. The combination set forth in claim 7, wherein the slots extend completely across both the shelves for a portion of their thickness.

GUY R. EIDE.

. REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,719,708 Luber July 2, 1929 1,793,709 Meyers Feb. 24, 1931 2,077,829 Erickson Apr. 20, 1937 2,433,748 Eide Dec. 30, 1947 

